Issue 2 Semester 2 2014
Christchurch Alumni get together
PENZ Awards
A Journey in Paradise
Adventure is within the man: Ian & Craig
Qatar Quest
Alex makes a 'splash' as head swim coach
Postcard from Japan
Mindful of body
Whatever happened to ...
Our Phys Edders win study awards
Exercise "Snacks"
Nothing left to prove
Spotlight on … Nancy Rehrer
Induction into IRB Hall of Fame
NZ Science Festival / Culture and Sporting Success
School and Alumni Snippets
Kia ora koutou
It has been another busy year in the School. This is a great time to wind
back a little and to reflect on the outstanding achievements of staff and
Kia ora koutou
students – some of these are reported on the following pages. This is
also
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sports injuries, exercise for prevention and rehabilitation, and adapted
physical activity.
Assoc Professor Lisette Burrows, Acting Dean
I hope you enjoy a happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year.
Kia ora rā, koutou katoa. Good health
to you all.
Professor
Doug Booth, Dean
Kia ora rā, koutou katoa.
Good health to you all.
Kia ora Alumni, Staff and Students
The response to our call for Alumni class photos has been impressive. Thanks
to everyone. We're still seeking some elusive years e.g. 1963, 1967 and 70s, 80s
and 90s photos so dig around in your cupboards and post/email to us!
See our collection:
http://physed.otago.ac.nz/alumni/gallery/class-photos/index.html
Find long lost friends' contact details and update your contact details:
https://www.alumni.otago.ac.nz/contactalumni
View previous newsletters: http://physed.otago.ac.nz/alumni/newsletters.html AND Alumni Achievements:
http://physed.otago.ac.nz/alumni/alumniachievements.html
Send riveting news/gossip, events, functions, campaigns, reunions, photos, graduate courses/PE job websites
to [email protected]
Submissions may be edited to suit the style. Editor does not take responsibility for alumni memory lapses!
Beverley Lawrence, Editor
PE Alumni get together in Christchurch
On a sunny Sunday afternoon on the 6 July, over 30 'Phys Edders' (ranging in ages from 23 to 80 plus) met for an
informal get together in a bar in Merivale, Christchurch. This was a trial for what we hope will be the first of many
informal alumni gatherings around the country which 'piggyback' onto other events that attract our alumni. In this
case the 'other' event was the Physical Education New Zealand (PENZ) conference for physical education teachers.
The invitation to attend the alumni event went to those who our database suggested were living in Christchurch.
As we had hoped, the news of the alumni event spread via the various networks so we had alumni attending from as
far away as Doha, Qatar and as close as just around the corner.
Staff member Assoc Prof Tania Cassidy hosted the event and in her welcoming comments pointed to the headline in
the Otago Daily Times the previous day which announced that a $650 million building boom was about to begin at
the University of Otago (see http://www.odt.co.nz/campus/university-otago/308321/uni-spark-building-boom)
Feedback from attendees was very positive, they enjoyed meeting up with 'Phys Edders' from across the decades and
looked forward to doing it again. If you have an event that you think would attract 'Phys Edders', and would lend
itself to having an alumni event attached to it, do let us know.
L to r: James Holden BPhEd 2012 Internship at Canterbury Rugby
Union; Pat Barwick DipPhEd 1967, MNZM, Coaching Advisor, Sport
Canterbury. Pat received the 2013 New Zealand Lifetime Achievement
Award at the annual sport and recreation awards in Wellington April
2013; Ali Choukry BPhEd 2012, Community Development officer
Bowls NZ.
L to r: back row: Ian Edmonds BPhEd 1989, BSc 1989, MPhEd 1993;
Iain Ansell BPhEd 1988, BSc 1989 Business Development; Sharyn Pratley
BPhEd 1988 Health & PE teacher Doha, Qatar; Michael Pratley BPhEd
1990 Aquatics director, Doha, Qatar and Richard Smith BPhEd 1983,
BSc 1984, High Performance Leader, Crusaders Rugby Franchise
Front row: Tania Cassidy DipPhEd 1984, DipGrad 1992, MPhEd 1995
and Sue McBain DipPhEd 1981, Programme Coordinator, School of
Sport and Physical Education, University of Canterbury,
Neville Hollands
(Mark Holland's dad)
and Alisoun Butt
DipPhEd 1956
L to r: Michael Pratley BPhEd 1990; Sharyn Pratley
BPhEd 1988 and Iain Ansell BPhEd 1988, BSc 1989
2
Cont over page
L to r: Ian Edmond, Senior Technical Developer, Ministry of Education, Training Services with wife Nora and
Oscar and David Watt BPhEd 1994, General Manager –
Outdoor/Director, Brandex Adventure Sports Ltd
L to r: Andrew (Maps) Curtis BPhEd(Hons) 2003 (Lucy
Smith's brother) studying 5th year Bachelor of Medicine &
Bachelor in Surgery at Otago in Christchurch; Dr Jacqueline Blakely (neé Laney) BPhEd(Hons) 2001, MB ChB 2007,
PGDipOMG 2011, Women's Health Liaison & GP; Lucy
Smith (neé Curtis) BPhEd 2000 and Katrina Curtis BPhEd
2003, (neé Richardson, Andrew’s wife) Primary Teacher
Stephen Rickerby MPhEd 2001 Manager, Sport Science
Centre, Uni of Canterbury and Fiona Hall BPhEd 1997,
BSc 1998, PGDipDiet 2000, Paediatric Dietician
L to r: Tess Murphy BPhEd, 2005, DipTchg(Sec) 2005
(left) and Sara Johnston, BPhEd 2005, DipTchg(Sec) 2005,
PE teacher (right) and non-PE friends (in background)
L to r: Marks Hollands BSc 1992, BPhEd 1995, BPhty
1996, PGDipSportMed 2002, Physiotherapist; Jenny Laney
DipPhEd 1969 (mother of Jacqueline Laney); Paul
Carpinter DipPhEd 1968 worked in Sport Science and Recreation Services, University of Canterbury from 1971 and
retired in 2007. Since then Paul has worked part time with
several sport organisations.
3
L to r: Alison Schofield DipPhEd 1976, National
Assessment moderator of Physical Education,
NZQA; Lynlee Fowler DipPhEd 1976, Registered
Nurse and Lorna Gillespie DipPhEd 1976, Lecturer University of Waikato
At the PENZ 2014 Conference Awards ceremony ...
Congratulations to Lisette Burrows – 2014 Sir Alexander Gillies Medal
L to r: PENZ Award Ceremony: Lady Joan Gillies
(Sir Alexander Gillies, orthopaedic surgeon, was the
first patron of Physical Education New Zealand 1936
until his death in 1982) and
Annette Golding and Lisette Burrows at
PENZ 2014. Annette was the first female
dance lecturer to be appointed at the
School by Philip Smithells.
Lisette Burrows receiving the Sir Alexander
Gillies medal for her outstanding contribution to physical education in New Zealand
Annette in 1959
L to r: PENZ Award ceremony: Bob Stothart
(PE staff 1994 and has acted as Chairman of various degree approval panels for NZQA),
Annette Golding and Prof Ian Culpan DipPhEd 1973, (all past recipients of the Sir Alexander Gillies Medal since the award's inception in
1969) with Lisette Burrows (3rd left)
Annette in 1984
Annette Golding says "I joined Philip Smithells' staff in February 1953 after being based 2 years in London for teaching,
European travel and part time studies in dance. I held the
appointment at the School for 12 years, leaving for a position at
Wellington Teachers College in October 1965.
I'm now 90 years of age, a nonagenarian! Since 1984, I've travelled extensively and developed interests in computing and
genealogy. I live independently in my Christchurch home
remaining active in home centred activities." Read about
Annette's days as a 1959 Dancing Fulbright Scholar in the USA:
http://www.fulbright.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/
Dancing-Fulbrighters.pdf
4
Annette’s OUSPE dance class practice
1964
A Journey to Paradise
How many students can boast of their undergrad days that they've enjoyed the fruits of the
fabled "Garden/Rock of Eden", crossed the River
Jordan and been transported through the pearly
"Heavens Gate" of Paradise to camp?
Heavenly quips aside, Paradise and its location in the
majestic backcountry at the base of Mt Alfred, 20kms
from Glenorchy, is a place that inspires and sends
shivers down your spine. If you've been here you'll
know what we mean.
Camp Sauna 1973 approx
Tempted to reminisce? See photos ...
http://physed.otago.ac.nz/alumni/gallery/camp/
In the early 1970s, Gouke (Bob) Leek, a PE staff
member, had been searching for an alternative to the
original Trotters Gorge Camp site to maintain the
outdoor component of the Diploma in Physical Education course, introduced at Otago University in
1948. Bob found Paradise after a chance meeting
with a Uni of South Australia lecturer who had
brought students to Paradise. He told Bob that Paradise was a great place to run an outdoor programme. Phys Edders had their first taste of Paradise
(courtesy of http://www.paradisetrust.co.nz/) in 1972
as a ten day camp experience.
orient and prepare us to explore this wild back
country environment for the final 3 days when we
ventured on 'out camp', having been given a grid reference from a map and dropped by vehicle in Dave
Miller's (founder of Paradise Trust) old truck at the
road end.
It was our job with the skills we had learnt over the
past 7 days to get ourselves, with no supervision, to
that place. We had a mountain radio to call back in
the evening. We camped out overnight 2 nights and
with luck on the 2nd day a staff member who knew
where we should be came out to see if we were still
alive! On the 3rd day we made our way back to be
picked up."
Geoff Ockwell BPhEd 1985, BCom 1987, MPhEd
2001 reminisces about his camp days as a Phys Edder
at Paradise in the summer of 1982 to 1983. (Since
completing his Masters, Geoff returned in 2007 to
Phys Ed and is the Co-ordinator Applied Theory and
Practice.)
Geoff says "Around 1990-1991, the format and the
emphasis changed. Some PE staff were concerned
about being asked to run a programme where risk
was involved. New staff – Martha Bell was pivotal at
that time –changed the emphasis to a physical challenge with qualified, experienced outdoor educators,
sometimes our postgrads, leading the student
groups.
He recalls "At that time, staff members including
Shona Thompson, Bevan Grant, Hillary Evison,
Frances Cruickshank and Warren Dukes were involved in the Camp programme. The School effectively shut down in February when the whole year
group of Phys Edders went to Paradise, about 75 to
80 students in 1982 to 1983.
John Maxted joined PE School in 1994-5 and brought
a different approach based on journeying. By now,
Camp had been reduced to 7 days. Students were
now learning how to be comfortable living and moving in a back country environment and exploring
their relationships with their environment and understanding more about the human history and the geographical history of where they were travelling. The
Camp experience moved from being a physical chal-
Camp was based in the Garden of Eden: staff slept in
the hut and we slept in tents dotted around the bush
in the clearing near the hut. We cooked outside
camp style for 7 days using food that was going to
sustain us and not spoil – no fridges or electricity!
We stayed for 10 days in groups of 8 to 9 students,
7 days of which we would complete a rotation of
activities such as fire lighting, river crossings, baking
bread, cooking food and games. These were to
5
lenge to something broader. It has retained those
emphases since I took it over from Annie Dignan,
who succeeded John.
veloped over the years that work and we tend to
send groups to areas on their own, both on track
and off track, scattered around Mt Aspiring National
Park. Generally, groups don't see each other during
this time."
Nowadays, we run two Camps at Paradise in November (after exams) and two Camps in February
(last weeks of hols) with 45 students going up to
each camp in 5 groups of 8 or 9 students – about
180 students in total go through Camp each year.
Geoff is ultimately responsible for health and safety
aspects of the Camp. "We employ qualified outdoors educators who support students at the beginning to help them set up the tents, use the burners,
cross the river safely and other basic skills. By the
end of the week we want students to be leading as
much of the experience as possible."
The students might stay the first night in tents at Paradise, heading off next day to go on a journey in the
mountains. Students walk back to Paradise for the
last night where everyone reassembles for the final
night ritual – a session in the sauna!
What does Geoff want students to take away from
the Camp experience? He says "I want them to see
the outdoors as an exciting place for them to explore a wide range of theoretical concepts.
There have been a few versions of the sauna over
the years (the first version built by Hans Nilsson in
1972 at Trotters Gorge Camp) because due to their
flammable nature they burnt down! In the 70s, students would erect our old 6 x 6 or 9 x 9 canvas
tents by a creek and dig a hole in the ground inside
on the floor of the tent. The tent would be sealed
round the bottom to keep the air from escaping. We
would light the fire not far away, heat up rocks and
steel, drag the hot material into the tent, put it into
the hole, close it up and wait till it heated up sufficiently for us to sauna.
Our students want to become capable professionals
in society and that usually means being able to
demonstrate you can do something with the
knowledge you have acquired.
Camp is a great opportunity to enable our students
to explore some of those Otago graduate attributes
such as teamwork, lifelong learning and ethical
awareness (e.g. walking through an area and finding
out that a company wants to put a tunnel through to
Milford Sound). Camp leaders carry the graduate attribute cards, which spark some wonderful discussions around the camp fire."
After our dry sauna, following the Swedish principle,
we plunged into the cold creek, which we had
dammed to make a pool. These temporary tent saunas gave way to more permanent structures – at
least 3 versions! A more permanent building was
erected – a robust shed with a wood burner inside
it, insulated with earth sods and grass growing on an
earthen roof.
"I want our students to develop a sense of a connection with Paradise and to understand the value in
coming to know a place, with an opportunity to go
back to reconnect and the value of what we call:
"place responsive education". 'Where' learning takes
place is very important. Learning is grounded and has
greater meaning when we acknowledge the 'place'
where that teaching and learning occurs.
In 1986 – 87 the "permanent" sauna burnt down.
Bob Leek galvanised everyone and it was rebuilt in
time for the 1987– 88 summer. We took crews of
students up at weekends, poured a new concrete
slab and built a structure insulated by earth sods.
This sauna still stands today.
I also want students to see there is an opportunity
within the degree to develop their career interest in
the wider outdoor education/recreation field."
Camp experience is very much what the leader and
students want it to be. We give leaders some guidance as to what we want students to be able to do
by the end of the experience. The leaders have the
freedom to do what they think is suitable for the
group given the conditions, the nature of the group
and the leader's own strengths. Trips have been de-
If you have memories of either Trotters Gorge or
Paradise Camp you would like to share, email us.
Footnote: A celebration memorial for the late Nick
Beharrell, our outdoor technician, who was a passionate
advocate of the Paradise experience, was held at Paradise
in November 2011, with a kowhai tree planted in his
memory beside the staff building.
6
Phys Edders in Paradise 2010 to 2014
7
"Adventure is not outside the man. It is within." (George Eliot)
Ian ("Monty") Edmond BPhEd 1989, BSc 1989, MPhEd 1993
Left to right: Nora (wife), Ian, Paul Romero and Karen
Lundgren – our team in the 2008 Adventure Race World
Champs in Brazil
L to r: Pedro (dog), Josh (12), Millie (10), Ian, Oscar (1) &
Nora in 2014
Ian's dual qualifications in physical education and computer science have taken him on two career paths which, he Tech Manager at GodZone for the Chapters 2 to the
says, "one keeps me running and the other keeps me
upcoming Chapter 4 race on 28 February 2015 set
employed."
around Lake Wanaka.
Ian is renowned in New Zealand as an adventure racing
and multisport great and has participated in adventure
racing events, a career that has spanned 20 years and
covered most continents.
What motivated you to take on these roles and what do
they involve?
"I saw both roles as a great way to give back to the sport
in a positive way. It also keeps me close to the sport and
taps into my experience and passions.
What were some of your most challenging adventure
racing achievements?
Once the course is set, I vet the course and do a 'reccie'
of each stage checking things such as safety, enjoyment,
challenge, timings and alternative routes. Sometimes,
based on my findings, a stage can change format, distance
or be replaced. One huge bonus of the
course vetting is I get to have an adventurous time doing the course without the
hardship/pain of racing it!
"The first international race, the 1996 Eco-Challenge in
British Columbia, I did with Jim Cotter plus other kiwis.
The longest we'd raced before this 8
day race was 2 days, so a mammoth
undertaking and highly rewarding
to finish with our 4th placing.
In 2008 I competed with my wife
Nora in the Adventure Racing
World Champs in Brazil – a highlight
of my racing career as it was our
honeymoon and we came 3rd
overall – much cause for celebrations."
Developing the web based Live Coverage
platform involves making sure folks back
home watching the event are kept up to
date with the teams' progress. Each team has
a tracking device which we use to display
their position on a map. The Live Coverage
site allows people to immerse themselves in
the event and watch vicariously the joys and
heartaches of the teams navigating around the
course. There are course and team details,
news snippets and features, photos and videos,
social media – to keep you transfixed. I make sure people know what the race is about before the event on the
race website: www.godzoneadventure.com"
You took part in the 2012 NZ's
Orion Health Godzone Chapter
1 'Milford' inaugural AdvenIan and Nora adventure
ture Race with your 'Team
racing World Champs,
One Square Meal', notching
Brazil, October2008
up a spectacular 2nd place.
Since retiring from adventure racing in 2013, you took
on the roles of Course Adviser and Live Coverage and
8
Craig's wife Phys Edder Toni Hoskin (neé Hawksworth) BPhEd 1989 is the Active Health and Green
Prescription Manager at Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti.
Ian cycling in the first Godzone in 2012 saying hi to
adventure racing legend Bill Godsall (who raced with
Jim Cotter and Ian in the 1996 Eco-Challenge) at the
entrance of the Homer Tunnel, Fiordland (which Bill
helped drill!!)
L to r: Toni Hoskin, daughter Courtney and Craig
Hoskin, Senior Ball August 2014
Craig says "Being the slightly obsessed fitness people we
are, we have 2 teenage girls following in our footsteps.
Courtney (16), year 12 at Gisborne Girls' High, is a
multiple National Sprint Kayak Champ (K1, K2, K4) and
Alicia (14) has
National podiums
in Triathlon, Duathlon, Cycling
and Kayak.
What sets this race apart from any other in the World?
"It explores the beautiful back country of New Zealand.
It is very well organised and focuses on giving a fantastic
racing experience. The event is run by racers for racers."
What have been the highs and the challenges of your
roles?
"The highs have been hearing how much the participants
love the event and how engaged the folks back home are
watching the sagas unfold via the Live Coverage. The
challenge is making sure the Live Coverage platform gives
the best possible user experience. It's very hard to test
how the site will perform under load before the event
starts. When the gun goes off we go from a couple of
viewers to 35,000!
As for Toni and I
… we run, cycle
when able and
still compete nationally, but the
kids' goals and
aspirations take
Craig Hoskin at the NZ Age
precedence. They're
Group Road Cycling Nationals
better than us. We're
in Hamilton May 2014
involved in a charity
mountain bike race for the Ruel Foundation Fiji "Reach
150" http://www.mup.org.nz/Reach150/ (a 150 min team
relay or solo race) to raise money for free surgical intervention for kids with cleft lip and palate. We have a
semi rural property so the race is literally run around
our house – typically raise about $3-5K."
Since August 2006 you’ve had another "daytime" role as
the Senior Technical Developer at the Ministry of Education, Training Services."
What does this role involve?
"I'm contracted to the Training Services Team at the Min-
istry and we provide informative and practical live online
training in various applications and topics to schools,
trustees and Ministry of Education staff. I work with fellow Phys Edder Craig Hoskin BPhEd 1988, BSc 1989
as a 'virtual team' (he's in Gisborne) on the Content and
Learning Management System that allows 45,000 participants to book and do online courses.
Daughters
Alicia (14
yrs) and
Courtney
winning Gold
in 2014 NZ
Sprint Kayak
Nationals –
U16 K2
500m
I live in Christchurch with my wife Nora (originally from
Brazil) and my kids Josh (12), Millie (10) and wee baby
Oscar (15 months). For fun, we play music in our very
informal Edmond family band, ski in winter and mountain
bike in summer."
9
Qatar quest
Sharyn Pratley BPhEd 1988 and Michael Pratley BPhEd 1990
A desire to enjoy a more balanced lifestyle and workload,
to spend time with their son
and overseas travel were the
impetus in 2007 that led
Sharyn and Mike to head to
the American School of Doha
(ASD) in Qatar. They say "It
turned out our skills and experience matched what the
school were looking for."
Sharyn was previously involved in the Bachelor of Education (PE) and Bachelor of
Sport Coaching at the then
Christchurch College of Education and Mike was in management in the health sector.
Mike says "For the first six
years in Qatar, Sharyn taught
upper elementary physical
education (8 – 11 year olds)
and developed and formalised a developmentally appropriate physical education programme for this age
group. She now teaches in
the Middle School (12 -14
year olds).
school opportunities for students
to develop aquatic skills such as
water confidence, kayaking and water polo. A bonus is that all coaching positions come with a stipend.
We also run what has become an
annual event at the school, the
Dragon Triathlon, with over 300
participants from the school community.
L to r: Mike, Mason and Sharyn at
Sterling Castle, Scotland, Oct 2014.
Our challenge is to provide the
best physical education experience
we can for our truly international
student body. The nature of the
school means we are teaching highly motivated students with great
support structures (e.g. small classes and first class equipment and
facilities).
We live a very Western lifestyle
in a Middle Eastern country.
Doha is developing rapidly and
with this comes positives and
negatives. We love the experience we're having in Doha and
the high quality school experience for our son but
acknowledge it's not the greatest
city to live in. Doha's location
and the school calendar
(generous holidays) allow us to
travel.
Mike coaching at ASD
In my Aquatics Director role,
which was a new position, I
developed the aquatics curriculum for Grades 1 – 12,
When we're in Qatar, we play
worked alongside the 12
social sport, socialise with
physical education teachers,
friends and follow our son’s
managed the two pool facilisport.
ties, professionally develWhen Mason (13 years) finishes
oped lifeguards and instruchigh school at ASD, we hope to
tors, and was instrumental
take time off in New Zealand as
in establishing a private
he settles into university. We're likely to spend a
swim club. After 7 years, I was looking for a new
few more years teaching in another international
challenge and am now teaching physical education
school in a different region of the world, before
to 4 – 7 year olds.
returning to Christchurch. Happy to share our
Sharyn is involved in coaching basketball; track and
field (athletics) and flag rugby. I coach the senior
and middle school swim team and provide after
10
overseas teaching experience and the recruiting
process with any interested graduates."
http://www.asd.edu.qa/
Alex makes a 'splash' as head swim coach
Alexandra Offen BPhEd 2012
Alexandra's desire to travel, see the
world and experience living in another country put her in the right
place in Canada and the right qualifications, a BPhEd, to land her first
role as a head swimming coach.
After graduating, Alexandra set up
an online au-pair profile and "hit it
off" with a Canadian family who
lived in Alberta.
Alexandra says "After a couple of
emails and a skype "date" with the
family, it was official, I was moving
to Canada!
I'd been going to the local pool occasionally to maintain my fitness; it
was enough to capture the attention of a local who told me about
the head swimming coach position
with the Drayton Valley Neptunes
Swim Club, suggesting I apply for it
because I would make a great candidate. I wasn't sure if I was qualified
enough but I decided to go for it.
The combination of my Physical
Education degree and my experience in swimming were the two
main contributors to getting the
role and attracted the employers to
my application in the first place. My
degree paid off and my C.V was
enough to land me the job before
they had met me."
I had 70 swimmers and 3 assistant
coaches below me. My favourite
time of the week was when the
children swam their best race and
the first person they wanted to tell
and show their ribbon to was me. I
set little goals for my swimmers and
when they achieved them, even if
they were small like diving off the
blocks, I was happy. We recently
had provincials, like the Nationals in
New Zealand, where one of my
eleven year old swimmers got gold.
I was that crazy coach screaming
Alexandra and swimmer with his
100m medal at provincials 2014
while he was swimming. I enjoyed
coaching these kids.
I've been thinking about going back
to Uni and finishing an education
degree after my travels or I may
complete some swimming instructor courses and see where that
takes me. I've been invited back to
Drayton Valley again to coach but
who knows, I've no real plans yet."
Post Card from Japan
David Edgar BPhEd 2003
Konnichiwa!
I've been in Osaka for six months after relocating from Tokyo where I was
based for the previous two years. I'm working in the Japan Rugby top league
as head strength and conditioning coach with the ‘Kintetsu Liners’ (the
team is owned by Kintetsu Corporation), who are based in Hanazono, in
the shadow of the Ikoma mountains, (my favourite place for cycling training on days off). I have a new exciting challenge with the ‘Liners’ building
the strength and conditioning/sports science programme. We’ll be up
against the biggest rugby teams in Japan.
Since leaving Otago in 2003, my wife Karen , daughter Pepa (13
yrs) and son Oliver (8 yrs) and I have experienced a heck of a
lot: 5 years with Waikato in the NPC and Chief’s in Super Rugby,
3½ years based in Samoa including the 2011 Rugby World Cup
in New Zealand and now Japan. Next March I go straight back
into a role with Samoa as the Strength and Conditioning
technical advisor for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.
Life as an international coach has been very rewarding – constant challenge and long hours with plenty of stress! Getting to
work with players from all over the world easily makes up for this.
The satisfaction I get from seeing my players develop and achieve
personal bests is what drives me on.
David at Training Camp
11
Mindful of body
Assoc Professor James (Jim) Carmody DipPhEd 1965
L to r: Marion Craighead?
(radiation tech trainee at Dunedin Hospital) and Jim at an
Aquinas barn dance "hop" 1963
When Jim came to
Otago he says his career ambitions weren't
thought through at all .
He recalls: "Swimming
was my sport – I
swam for NZ Universities (NZU) – and
vaguely imagined a life
in shorts and a whistle
around my neck! But
I'd been such a slacker
at school I didn't qualify for a Teaching Studentship which would
have obligated me to
Teachers College. This
turned out to be a
blessing as I became
interested in research.
After graduating, I did a fourth year at Otago so I could
apply for an American graduate program and got accepted at the University of Iowa where the late Dr Jim Hay's
(DipPhEd 1956) MA and PhD in biomechanics had affirmed that OUSPE produced quality graduates.
(http://
physed.otago.ac.nz/
alumni/wof/
inductees/2006JamesHay.html)
To save some money
before I went, I drove a
Speights beer truck and
also worked the night
shift at Cadbury's factory;
survived on beer and
chocolate that year.
OU Water Polo team 1963 L to r: James Carmody 3rd
left with Phys Edder Phil Jack DipPhEd 1964 6th left.
In the early seventies academic jobs were plentiful with
offers from several schools. I decided on the University
of Massachusetts because of their innovative programmes
and taught in the School of Education and Department of
Psychology. The freedom to teach whatever took my
fancy made me quickly recognise my own education was
incomplete and how little I knew of fundamental questions of meaning and happiness.
So I quit and joined the trekkers to Asia in search of
something–or–other,
if only a more colourful outfit or plentiful
hashish! There I became fascinated with
the idea of enlightenment and began a forty year engagement
with Buddhist practice; seeking out the
best teachers I could
find; going between
traditions in an effort
to distil out the
Jim with his great nieces and nephews, Auckland 2013
essence of each.
Dr Rex Billington DipPhEd 1960 http://physed.otago.ac.nz/alumni/wof/
inductees/2010DavidRexBillington.html) and Dr Russell
Langton DipPhEd 1960, two other Phys Edders, started
at Iowa at the same time and we remain good friends.
Coincidentally, I'm at the University of Massachusetts
again, this time in the Medical School. My research is on
mindfulness and mind-body processes studying their clinical effects and psychological and neural mechanisms. I've
been fortunate in getting steady National Institutes of
During the master's year my interest turned to psycholo- Health funding for my lab, including a US$4 million regy and I transferred to the educational psychology prosearch grant this year to study the effect of mindfulness
gram and later trained in clinical psychology.
training on asthma control. I also teach the integration of
12
My house is surrounded by miles of dense hardwood
forest with a lot of wildlife; a huge black bear ambled
past the porch last week. I enjoy building in stone and
landscaping; my backhoe lets me wreak weekend havoc!
America is an enigma to me. It never ceases to surprise.
Happily I'm now able to get back to New Zealand to escape the awful northern winter and stay mostly with my
daughter Lori and her family in Palmerston North – she's
a primary school teacher there. Lovely to get to spend
time with my grandson.
Jim building his stone wall (lowering a stone into the wall
using his backhoe)
mindfulness into clinical practice for physicians and psychologists. This year I've focused on writing; drawing on
research and personal experience to describe mindfulness using terms and concepts familiar to patients.
I enjoy teaching various courses while I'm in NZ including
an annual residential course for GPs interested in integrating mindfulness and mind-body principles into primary care. Last year I was also a visiting scholar at AUT and
taught a couple of weekend courses for the NZ Psychological Society.
Sadly, it must be 30 years since I’ve been back to DuneI live in Petersham, Massachusetts, a bucolic New England din. Happy to do a seminar there if anyone has an interest in mind-body processes."
town; picket fences, postcard town square and a church
http://profiles.umassmed.edu/profiles/display/133176
steeple, about an hour from the medical school in
Worcester.
Whatever happened to ...
Lucy Smith (neé Curtis) BPhEd 2000 and Craig Smith BPhEd 2001
Running a 25 acre farm near Lincoln in Springston
South and a 103 acre farm in Cashmere for Lucy's
mum keeps Craig busy, while Lucy teaches Health
and PE and is Year 9 Dean at Lincoln High School.
They have organised their roles to suit their lifestyle.
Lucy says "Craig looks after the kids and does a bit of
PE and Outdoor Ed relief teaching at Lincoln School.
It works well for us as Craig can take time off during
calving and lambing and has time to do the shearing.
We run about 100 ewes, a few beef cattle, chooks
and pigs and a duck pond for duck shooting season!
My brother Andrew (Maps) Curtis BPhEd(Hons)
2003 left PE school to do post grad at Simon Fraser
Uni in BC, Canada. He's currently studying 5th year
Medicine in Christchurch and doing some research
work with Dr Dave Gerrard (drugs in sport). Katrina
Curtis (neé Richardson) BPhEd 2003, "Map's" wife,
is teaching at Clearview Primary in Rolleston. They
get out and about tramping and skiing. Maps does
the odd rafting/kayaking trip with Steve Brown
BPhEd 1997 http://www.wildearth.co.nz/
L to r: Toby 3 yrs, Heidi 5 yrs, Lucy with baby Skye
4 months and Craig at the Canterbury A & P Show
Nov 2014
Our friend Jacqui (Jax) Blakely (neé Laney) BPhEd
(Hons) 2001, works part time as a GP in Christchurch and has just taken up a part time women's health advisory/
liaison position. She is mum to 3 year old Isobella and is expecting her second child in December."
13
Prestigious study awards go to our five Phys Edders
Craig Reddington DipPhEd 1984, Celia Fleck (neé Horne) BPhEd 1995, Karen Palmer DipPhEd 1985, Bevan Packer BPhEd 1989 and Gareth Hyett BPhEd 2002
Craig 2014
Bevan 2014
Celia 2014
Gareth 2014
Karen 2014
Karen (left) with a softball team at the end
of season games in 2013. Karen entered this
team in a local social competition as part of
the Sport in Education programme linking
with the community.
Congratulations to Craig Reddington DipPhEd 1984, Kaikorai
Valley College; Celia Fleck (neé Horne) BPhEd 1995, HOD Health and
Physical Education, Aotea College; Karen Palmer DipPhEd 1985,
Queen's High School; Bevan Packer BPhEd 1989, Howick College and
Gareth Hyett BPhEd 2002, Tauranga Boys College who won the 2014
New Zealand Secondary Schools Sports Council Peter Sharp Study
Awards in July. The awards this year have been given to the eight
school leaders of the SportNZ Sport in Education three year initiative,
begun in 2013, five of whom are our Phys Edders.
Craig and Year 9 Mini Olympics,
Term 1 collating scores from the
Tug of War event 2014
Craig says "Karen and I are both leading the Sport in Education Project (SiE) initiative in our Dunedin schools, with only 8 schools
nationwide fully funded by SportNZ. We're just past the halfway
mark. Using sport as a context for learning to improve student engagement is a major aim for the project.
I'm hoping to bring back ideas from visiting Melbourne as part of the award that can be incorporated into the
project. We'll be visiting some Sport speciality schools. It will be interesting to see how they are set up, operate and how they can strike the balance between sports training and the academic side of school life. I'm sure
I'll see some ideas to help us achieve our goals of engaging pupils and improving academic and behavioural outcomes for our students."
http://www.sportnz.org.nz/managing-sport/programmes-and-projects/sport-in-education-project14
Exercise "snacks" to control blood sugar
Monique Francois BPhEd(Hons) 2010, MPhEd 2013
Terry Hill and Monique mountain biking at
Smith Creek, West Kelowna, Canada 2014
Monique’s "prop"
Armed with one graph as a prop, emerging female scientist Monique Francois BPhEd(Hons) 2010, MPhEd 2013
succinctly presented her exercise "snacks" research to
an audience in Dunedin at the "2 Minute Talks: Young
Women in Science", New Zealand International Science
Festival held in July.
Our research participants 'snacked' on 6 x 1 minute intervals of high intensity exercise before each meal compared to the exercise guidelines which recommend 30
minutes of moderate continuous exercise on most days.
The main finding was that the exercise snacking, high
intensity intervals before meals significantly lowered
blood glucose spikes as shown by the blue line whereas
the red line shows that the continuous exercise did not
lower blood glucose.
Monique says "My research investigated whether small
'snacks' of high intensity exercise before meals would
control blood glucose across the whole day in pre
diabetes. We compared this to the traditional exercise
These findings agree with others that exercise is mediguidelines of 30 minutes’ moderate continuous exercise." cine and is particularly effective in controlling blood
"Alarmingly 1 in 3 adults are at risk of developing type 2 glucose.
diabetes. The black dashed line on the graph shows the However, low-moderate exercise may just not cut it.
uncontrolled blood glucose response to meals in pre
The exercise must be more intense than daily living – on
diabetic individuals.
top of an active lifestyle.
While many things can increase blood glucose, only two
things can decrease it – insulin and muscle contractions.
The tissues of pre diabetic individuals do not respond
well to insulin. Therefore exercise is a very important
therapy in controlling blood glucose without the need
for medication.
Muscle contractions can take up glucose into tissues
without the stimulus of insulin. The more intense the
exercise, the more glucose is taken up, and this effect
can persist for many hours.
When prescribing exercise for pre diabetes, it is important to consider the timing, intensity and frequency of
exercise for controlling blood glucose across the whole
day."
Monique's research, in collaboration with and supervised
by Assoc Professor Jim Cotter, was originally published
in Diabetologia, a prestigious clinical diabetes journal.
Monique's findings received laudable international media
attention from The New York Times, LA Times,
AlJazeera news, The Australian and The New Zealand
Herald.
15
http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-snexercise-snack-20140508-story.html
By good fortune, Terry has taken up a role as lab technician in the same department as Monique. "We're both
http://www.aljazeera.com/video/asia-pacific/2014/05/new- loving it. The University is pretty small, but it has everything we need. We live downtown (minutes from the
exercise-plan-help-fight-diabeteslake) by Knox Mountain, so lots of trail running, hiking
20145925112837631.html
and mountain biking.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/09/exerciseI'm enjoying working with Dr Little as he is a guru in
snack-blood-sugar_n_5295451.html
exercise and metabolism diabetes research, and in the
http://www.livescience.com/45906-exercise-snacksEMIL (exercise metabolism inflammation lab). I'm now
stabilize-blood-sugar.html
recruiting 60 type 2 diabetes patients. My research will
In mid-August Monique and partner Terry Hill BPhEd
investigate the effect of milk supplementation after inter2007, MPhEd 2014 moved to the University of British val exercise in type 2 diabetes, with a specific focus on
Columbia, Kelowna Canada where, in September,
improving glucose control, vascular health and inflammaMonique started her PhD research in the same area:
tion. We're also planning several acute studies. I'm very
exercise and diabetes!
excited to start."
Nothing left to prove
Doreen King (neé Brown) Dip PhEd 1955
Doreen has recently ticked off another item on her bucket list. She now relishes
the accolade of winning gold and the honour of becoming the world's fastest 100metre breastroker and achieving silver in the 200m breaststroke events in the 80 to
84 women's age category after competing at the FINA World Masters Championships in Montreal held in August. "It was a surprise to win," said Doreen, who turns
80 in December. "I was delighted."
Introduced to swimming at the early age of five, later at Phys Ed School, Doreen
was part of the University of Otago's varsity swim team. After finishing her teacher
training in Christchurch in 1956, Doreen worked in Dunedin as a health education
officer with the Health Department promoting public health in the community.
She travelled to Illinois, USA in 1958 where she completed an MSc in Health Education at the University of Illinois in 1960. She reunited with Les, her Kiwi boyfriend she had met in Christchurch in 1956, who was undertaking his PhD at the University of
Iowa.
On their return to New Zealand, and after marrying Les in Dunedin
in October 1960, Doreen taught at Avonside Girls' High in Christchurch during 1961– 62. They moved to Canada in 1962 for a university appointment for Les and eventually settled in Hamilton,
Ontario where they have lived since 1970. Doreen has worked in
various libraries and as an interviewer for several university health
studies.
Since the early 1980s Doreen has been a founding member of the
local Ancaster Masters Swimming Club. "For me, swimming is about
the camaraderie and staying fit and mobile," says Doreen.
Doreen seems to have passed her love of sport on to her family
with the oldest of her two sons, Loren, a competitive swimmer and
two of her 4 grandsons pursuing triathlons. Doreen thinks she may
be ready to retire. "Going to the Worlds was on my bucket list of
things to do. Now I think I'm done with competing."
16
An application is to determine energy utilisation in
the free-living situation.
SPOTLIGHT ON:
ASSOC PROF DR NANCY J REHRER
We used this technique to follow a cycling team in
the Tour of Southland.
http://www.tourofsouthland.com/
Nancy downhill mountain biking, La Massana, Andorra
Research team cyclists in Tour of Southland
http://physed.otago.ac.nz/staff/nrehrer.html
I'm a strong believer in the virtues of collaboration
and have benefited greatly over the past 19 years at
Otago from working alongside numerous colleagues
and postgraduate students.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.16000838.2009.00974.x/full
Energy expenditure, dietary intakes, and body compositional changes over the week of competition
were monitored. The effects of exercise to increase
lean mass (mostly muscle) and reduce fat mass, and,
when in negative energy balance to reduce lean mass
loss, were clear. Energy expenditures were similar to
those in the Tour de France, nearly 3x that of most
individuals.
My primary research interests lie within the realm of
exercise metabolism and how metabolism is altered
via exercise, and mechanisms that limit human performance such as environmental constraints, dietary
manipulations, gender and inactivity.
I've been involved in numerous studies using stable
(i.e. NOT radioactive) isotopes to label and trace
ingested molecules as they are metabolised in the
body in collaboration with the Chemistry Dept and
several postgraduate students.
Chris Harvey BPhEd 1995, BSc 2000, MPhEd
2000, PhD 2011 self-participating during his PhD
research investigating the effects of muscle mass
(size and location) on plasma glucose oxidation
I've recently been involved with research on the
metabolic effects of inactivity with colleagues in the
Human Nutrition Dept and The Centre for Nutritional Research at Lyon University. Prolonged sitting
is associated with ill health and we are looking at the
frequency of getting up and moving. We found it's
better to get up and walk for a couple of minutes
every half hour than doing one x 30 minute walk and
sitting the rest of the day.
17
Presently we're looking at whether swimming in cold
water increases energy metabolism during and after
exercise more than in normal pool temperature. It
appears that energy utilisation is increased not only
during swimming and immediately after, but also for
up to 24 hours with colder water. However, body
composition is important; it appears that the "more
insulated" you are, the colder the water will need to
be.
Lest you think I only poke, prod and measure – when
not at work – I enjoy being out on a bike as well.
IRB HALL OF FAME INDUCTION
FARAH PALMER BPHED(HONS) 1994, PHD 2000, ONZM
Congratulations to Farah, one of our 2006 Wall of Fame inductees, and
now one of the first women elected into the International Rugby Board
(IRB) Hall of Fame in November. The election acknowledges her 20 year
illustrious rugby career with the Black Ferns from 1996-2006, playing in
three Rugby World Cups, winning each one and earning 35 caps. Farah
became hooked on rugby after playing in an inter-college game while studying for her Phys Ed degree.
Married with 2 children, Farah is a senior lecturer in the school of management at Massey University
specialising in race, gender and diversity issues in sport management, leadership and governance.
NEW ZEALAND SCIENCE FESTIVAL
LEAVE BORING BEHIND
PE ACTION AND REACTION DAY.
ENGAGING AND INSPIRING OUR FUTURE PHYSEDDERS!
No ennui was evident as children were challenged by the "mind bending" and "altered reality" scientific
stations set up by our tech team Nigel Barrett, Gavin Kennedy, Hamish Gould, Rochelle Palmay and
Monique Francois and manned by Terry Hill BPhEd 2007, MPhEd 2014, Dr Chris Button, Dr Jon Shemmell, Dr Peter Lamb and Lisa Hughes at the Wall Street Mall and Toitū Museum during the NZ Science
Festival held in Dunedin in July. THANKS TECH/ACADEMIC TEAM FOR ORGANISING THIS COMMUNITY EVENT.
CULTURE AND SPORTING SUCCESS
Luiz Uehara tries out his football
moves with his capoeira friends
"on hand" to offer "ginga" expertise (a rocking back and forth
capoeira movement used as a
deceptive movement in Brazilian
football)
Luiz Uehara BPhEd(Hons) 2006
What are the cultural elements that define how a football or other sporting team play to empower the team to
rank among the world's best? Luiz Uehara, PhD student, who appeared on TVNZ One Seven Sharp programme
during the euphoric weeks of the 2014 World Cup football matches, believes he may have found some of the answers.
Brazilian-born Luiz's research has found that the players' flamboyant style of his country's team derives from their
cultural background of dance and movement which is incorporated into their fluid and deceptive football moves on
the field. Blending the martial art of capoeira and the dance samba into the way Brazilian footballers play football and
you get a "samba/capoeira mojo" happening on the field. Luiz has now developed a framework for testing how a
nation's culture influences sporting success, as he believes the two are inextricably linked. Luiz says the same framework may be used to determine why New Zealand is so strong at rugby.
18
School Snippets
Welcome to:


Louise Potiki Bryant , award winning choreographer and dancer who created her
own dance company Atamira Contemporary Dance Company in 2000, and who
was the 2014 Caroline Plummer Fellowship in Community Dance recipient.
Her six month project Whakaahua — Coming to form — (whakaahua means to
transform) culminated in a whanau dance performance at Toitu Otago Settlers
Museum during the Puaka Matariki midwinter festival in June.
Her project was based on research about dance and haka that were traditionally
performed in the historical pre-European whare tapere, which tended to be about
people’s relationship with nature.
Louise worked with hapu from Otakou marae and with university students offering
meditation classes and workshops to the community while in Dunedin.
Louise Potiki Bryant
Tom MacKay BPhEd 2005, our new Laboratory Technician . We look forward to
Tom being re-familiarised with our facilities and our teaching and research
programme where he will be providing technical support.
Tom MacKay
Alumni Snippets
Congrats to:
 Jonathan Bredin Cert Spt St 2006, BCom 2006 who is now
ranked the number one New Zealand netball umpire. He has
notched up an impressive 71 trans-Tasman league games and
his skills earned him the umpiring of the ANZ Championship
grand finals in both 2013 and 2014.
At international level, Jono, who resides in Dunedin, was
appointed to umpire the semi-final and Bronze Medal netball
matches at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, reaching
the impressive milestone of officiating 50 test matches around
the world. This follows on from Jono officiating at the last
Commonwealth Games four years ago in Delhi and the 2011
World Championships in Singapore. Jono's leading rank is
testament to the years of hard work and preparation he has put in.
Katy Atkinson

Kate Holland BPhEd(Hons) 2010, PhD
(submitted) on her appointment as Sport
Waitaki Regional Coordinator in July. She
says "I am loving it.
It is so great getting out there in the
community."

Katy Atkinson BPhEd 2011, PGDipPE
2012, MPhEd 2014 on her new role as
Team Leader of Volunteering, Dunedin
and North Otago at the Cancer Society
in August.
19
Jono Bredin
Kate Holland